"The BEST pizza in the whole Galaxy!!!" with a smiling alien at the entrance ... Silly but fun if you play along.
Definitely liked Carlsbad.
City of Rocks is interesting for a hour or two (might not quite be on the way ....)
White Sands is fun.
In Houston, we really liked the JPL Space Museum.
the Blue Hole? I have never actually been, and don't know if it is any fun if you are not a diver, but sounds interesting.